Gotta go with the classic pig-faced orcs. They tend to be my go to baddie in a pinch. They are always up to something and it is always no good. They pose a threat due to numbers as well. A scouting party might not be too bad, but the force they are scouting for is another thing altogether! If a village's existence is threatened, there is a good chance it is due to a band of orcs (sometimes with other critters splashed in like the Bugbears).
Great list - certainly many classic and also overlooked choices in there. A little blending of classics too can be fun! In my current 13th Age game, an ooze that the party accidentally made sentient got inside the skull of an animated skeleton, organically leading to a new monster through the symbiosis of the ooze 'brain' driving around in a skeleton frame. Once again demonstrating that players can usually make things worse for themselves than the GM anticipates!
Great list. Orcs of course need to be on the list, usually just the Hobbit/LOTR variety, slightly larger than goblins, less than a human, fights dwarfs on sight and always evil, but also sometimes with the Skyrim High Orc/True Orc variety (with the twist on Tolkien that little orcs are twisted versions of True Orcs). Bears, apes, giant snakes, spiders, aligators, crocks, sharks, octopus, etc. All that stuff you'd find on Conan, I love.
I love lists like this because my list is fluid. And your take on goblins is how I run mine. Makes them so much fun. And I've corrected my mistake of not knowing you had a YT channel. Subscribed!
Absolutely agree with the ending comments about not being a fan of overly complex backstories. I feel character built during play is soooo much more impactful and interesting, Also makes killing a character which a player has written a four page essay about more troublesome, and I think that lethality of old school d&d is important for the feel of the game. A player who's character was nearly killed by a sneak goblin attack is going to roleplay their fear/hatred much better than someone who 'hates goblins because they invaded my village', plus too much backstory can dilute the effects of these traits picked up during actual play. Keep it simple imo, I can generate a new character in 10 mins in AD&D, even an mu, no need to choose feats/special abilities/pages of backstory etc.
Kobolds are my go to monsters. They have a very rich and unique story and history. Individually they are interesting and unthreatening, but in mass they are a nightmare. They are fun and dangerous simultaneously. They are like the mage hand of the monstrous compendium.
Such an amazing classic list - I once did a classic D&D dungeon made by a friend as a kid where Bugbears were guards to a Wizard - we eventually turned some of them on their master to help us fight the Big Bad lmao so much fun - all of your choices are awesome. Great video.
When it comes to back stories it depends on if you're playing a campaign or more short term sessions. When I've run campaigns I liked to give the players the gist of the world and let them run from there. When Non Weapon Proficiencies came along I encouraged players to make more of them to round out their characters (I started on what I guess is 1E AD&D and finished on 2E AD&D) and to give a brief family history along the lines of how many brothers and sisters etc and whether they were farm boys or urban scallywags or middle class kids. As a DM it gives you scope to pander to the players basic back story which I think builds a sort of 'reality' and forces the characters into a team (or at least the players). Can't believe you guys didn't go for the Ogre, they're way better than than Bugbear..... 😉
Great list, I use all of them all and home-brewed lots of different types in the past especially for my home brew world, and i very much agree with your last comments, which is why i love Talislanta some much, and the Scarred Lands monster book was another great one for monsters specific to that world and had lore behind why.
I'm starting an OSE Advanced Fantasy game as a new DM. I have a solid concept for my setting and I have begun to make a region map to depict the starting/home base area for my players. I'm running very early levels entirely within this region map, moving to whiteboard diagrams for interior maps. I'm wondering if you could suggest a handful of monsters that are relatively safe to throw at lvl1-2 players? Most of my players are new to ttrpg like me, so I'm planning on railroading the first couple of encounters as a combat tutorial and an interaction tutorial. Should I just throw a few skeletons at the players for a practice combat? I want the second encounter to teach them that combat isn't necessarily automatic when an encounter begins. It needs to be something they could fight if necessary, yet could just as easily reason/bargain with. I appreciate your wisdom on this. Beyond these first steps, the players will be fully in control so I'm trying to plan just enough to leave room for a story to emerge. I'm also planning on inserting a few moderately adapted prewritten adventures to make my life easier. The first "proper" dungeon they'll have access to will be "the quintessential dungeon". I appreciate any advice you guys have for me :)
Skeletons are great beginner monsters, but if you are playing with morale keep in mind they are relentless and won't retreat. Another great early monster is people - lots of roleplaying possibilities and they might not want to kill the PCs, which means 0hp only means unconscious... which isn't a bad thing for starting players.
@@BlackBirdMagic this response has helped a lot. I read that players can declare non-lethal intentions in order to subdue. For some reason I had not yet considered that the things players fight could do this too.
1e ad&d night hag may give an advantage to players by ridding the world of a villain. A magic-user may be interested in what a night hag can provide to them. A deal with hag is not going to work in your favor. It may be tempting when its considered the lesser of two evils.
My setting is a "new-world', recently discovered and incredibly dangerous, civilization has a tenuous grip in this new land, so there is no safety or support beyond the established settlements and territories. Goblins are without a land of their own, as all the pacified territory has been claimed by other species. Left to make their ways amongst human society, the goblins await an opportunity to make a home in as yet distant, unsafe and unmapped mountains. My Goblins have a four-caste system. Shiny-goblins are moneymen, bankers, vault operators, tax collectors and merchants. War-goblins are the brutal and savage strain of goblin society. They serve as soldiers, guards, bounty hunters and enjoy combat sports. Dodge-goblins operate shady criminal enterprises. Loan-sharking, fighting pits, protection racquets, thievery and con artistry are their main trades. Nobles are goblins with blue blood, literally. They are raised to become chiefs, generals, judges, sherrifs, and any other authority position the goblins find need for. Sometimes referred to as "NobGoblins" by disgruntled commoners.
Gotta go with the classic pig-faced orcs. They tend to be my go to baddie in a pinch. They are always up to something and it is always no good. They pose a threat due to numbers as well. A scouting party might not be too bad, but the force they are scouting for is another thing altogether! If a village's existence is threatened, there is a good chance it is due to a band of orcs (sometimes with other critters splashed in like the Bugbears).
Great list - certainly many classic and also overlooked choices in there. A little blending of classics too can be fun! In my current 13th Age game, an ooze that the party accidentally made sentient got inside the skull of an animated skeleton, organically leading to a new monster through the symbiosis of the ooze 'brain' driving around in a skeleton frame. Once again demonstrating that players can usually make things worse for themselves than the GM anticipates!
I love custom monsters like that!
Great list. Orcs of course need to be on the list, usually just the Hobbit/LOTR variety, slightly larger than goblins, less than a human, fights dwarfs on sight and always evil, but also sometimes with the Skyrim High Orc/True Orc variety (with the twist on Tolkien that little orcs are twisted versions of True Orcs).
Bears, apes, giant snakes, spiders, aligators, crocks, sharks, octopus, etc. All that stuff you'd find on Conan, I love.
I love lists like this because my list is fluid. And your take on goblins is how I run mine. Makes them so much fun. And I've corrected my mistake of not knowing you had a YT channel. Subscribed!
Absolutely agree with the ending comments about not being a fan of overly complex backstories. I feel character built during play is soooo much more impactful and interesting,
Also makes killing a character which a player has written a four page essay about more troublesome, and I think that lethality of old school d&d is important for the feel of the game.
A player who's character was nearly killed by a sneak goblin attack is going to roleplay their fear/hatred much better than someone who 'hates goblins because they invaded my village', plus too much backstory can dilute the effects of these traits picked up during actual play.
Keep it simple imo, I can generate a new character in 10 mins in AD&D, even an mu, no need to choose feats/special abilities/pages of backstory etc.
Kobolds are my go to monsters. They have a very rich and unique story and history. Individually they are interesting and unthreatening, but in mass they are a nightmare. They are fun and dangerous simultaneously. They are like the mage hand of the monstrous compendium.
The Fiend Folio is my all time favorite DND book
When I first got it I thought many of the monsters were too weird to use... now I think they're the best ones!
its a great book, some amazing art as well
Great discussion.
Thanks! :)
Such an amazing classic list - I once did a classic D&D dungeon made by a friend as a kid where Bugbears were guards to a Wizard - we eventually turned some of them on their master to help us fight the Big Bad lmao so much fun - all of your choices are awesome. Great video.
When it comes to back stories it depends on if you're playing a campaign or more short term sessions. When I've run campaigns I liked to give the players the gist of the world and let them run from there. When Non Weapon Proficiencies came along I encouraged players to make more of them to round out their characters (I started on what I guess is 1E AD&D and finished on 2E AD&D) and to give a brief family history along the lines of how many brothers and sisters etc and whether they were farm boys or urban scallywags or middle class kids. As a DM it gives you scope to pander to the players basic back story which I think builds a sort of 'reality' and forces the characters into a team (or at least the players).
Can't believe you guys didn't go for the Ogre, they're way better than than Bugbear..... 😉
Great list, I use all of them all and home-brewed lots of different types in the past especially for my home brew world, and i very much agree with your last comments, which is why i love Talislanta some much, and the Scarred Lands monster book was another great one for monsters specific to that world and had lore behind why.
I'm starting an OSE Advanced Fantasy game as a new DM.
I have a solid concept for my setting and I have begun to make a region map to depict the starting/home base area for my players.
I'm running very early levels entirely within this region map, moving to whiteboard diagrams for interior maps.
I'm wondering if you could suggest a handful of monsters that are relatively safe to throw at lvl1-2 players?
Most of my players are new to ttrpg like me, so I'm planning on railroading the first couple of encounters as a combat tutorial and an interaction tutorial.
Should I just throw a few skeletons at the players for a practice combat?
I want the second encounter to teach them that combat isn't necessarily automatic when an encounter begins.
It needs to be something they could fight if necessary, yet could just as easily reason/bargain with.
I appreciate your wisdom on this.
Beyond these first steps, the players will be fully in control so I'm trying to plan just enough to leave room for a story to emerge.
I'm also planning on inserting a few moderately adapted prewritten adventures to make my life easier.
The first "proper" dungeon they'll have access to will be "the quintessential dungeon".
I appreciate any advice you guys have for me :)
Skeletons are great beginner monsters, but if you are playing with morale keep in mind they are relentless and won't retreat. Another great early monster is people - lots of roleplaying possibilities and they might not want to kill the PCs, which means 0hp only means unconscious... which isn't a bad thing for starting players.
@@BlackBirdMagic this response has helped a lot. I read that players can declare non-lethal intentions in order to subdue.
For some reason I had not yet considered that the things players fight could do this too.
I'd also argue that no monster is (or should be) "safe". Most can 1shot a level 1or2 pc, but similarly a pc could one shot a low level monster.
1e ad&d night hag may give an advantage to players by ridding the world of a villain. A magic-user may be interested in what a night hag can provide to them. A deal with hag is not going to work in your favor. It may be tempting when its considered the lesser of two evils.
My setting is a "new-world', recently discovered and incredibly dangerous, civilization has a tenuous grip in this new land, so there is no safety or support beyond the established settlements and territories.
Goblins are without a land of their own, as all the pacified territory has been claimed by other species.
Left to make their ways amongst human society, the goblins await an opportunity to make a home in as yet distant, unsafe and unmapped mountains.
My Goblins have a four-caste system.
Shiny-goblins are moneymen, bankers, vault operators, tax collectors and merchants.
War-goblins are the brutal and savage strain of goblin society. They serve as soldiers, guards, bounty hunters and enjoy combat sports.
Dodge-goblins operate shady criminal enterprises. Loan-sharking, fighting pits, protection racquets, thievery and con artistry are their main trades.
Nobles are goblins with blue blood, literally.
They are raised to become chiefs, generals, judges, sherrifs, and any other authority position the goblins find need for. Sometimes referred to as "NobGoblins" by disgruntled commoners.
This is the kind of custom world building I love seeing in games!
Just found your stuff and loving it!
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